Be aware....be thankful.
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We owe them everything
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Never thought of my dad, or my father-in-law, as a "hero" in a sense. Only after he passed many years later I found out my dad was involved in the battle of the bulge. My FIL was in a merchant marine convoy where the ships in front, and off the stern, were both sunk during an attack. They both grew up in poverty and quickly were sent to defend our country's freedom. I am now aware. And I am thankful for them, and all the rest. Truly... the Greatest Generation. The likes of which may never be again.
The hardships that those men endured are unimaginable, they have my eternal respect and gratitude.
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dodgeboy440
BOHNALITE CHRYSLER HEMI PROTOTYPE 1951
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My dad was Army Corps Of Engineers, D-Day Lt . He also was in the battle of the Bulge . He told me how they kept warm in the winter …..
Running From Bomb Crater To Crater! The Nazis Shelled Them All Night To Wear The Allies Down …. Dad Said it helped them survive ! The Germans would also set the fuses on the artillery shells to air burst above ground & if you were standing in the area during shelling in the frozen forest you got your head blown off…..
His Platoon had to rush a Machine Gun nest that was killing his guys , they flanked the nest & tossed grenades into it to kill em !
Dad got shot in the leg right above the ankle.
It’s a miracle he made it through & that I’m here on earth…, Purple Heart ….Was Also a “ designated marksman “……told me once “ he sees their faces”! I responded, it’s a miracle you saw their faces before they saw You ! Or I wouldn’t be here ….think about it …..
I asked him what was his favorite gun ?
He said Thompson! & he really liked the Bazooka ……Continued on “ Berlin “ , Buchenwald Prison Camp ……. Horrific….
Said they didn’t understand at first what was that smell …. Of death from far away . When The Allies got there they were shocked……then
Eisenhower ordered all the town people for Miles around to help with the cleanup , They all knew ! We Just heard rumors of the Holocaust….Went on to serve 29 years In the Army . Retired LtCol. Was a Base Commander at Fort Sheridan/ Chicago. Where Ohare is now !
There’s so much more , how depraved & organized the Nazis We’re , even with kids …
The Hitler youth! The SS had the kids in uniform, armed , hyped up on drugs to kill anyone they deemed a threat ! Dad said it was difficult to fire on a kid , we have morals , but when they wouldn’t listen , the declared war was over ….we still had to fight to survive!
I even met President Kennedy in Oct 63 As a kid & toured Air Force 1 ……
Dads passed into Heaven.
History is a Teacher !
We must learn!
Or suffer the consequences……
John
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I have a great uncle that served in the Pacific during WWII. I think he was a Marine, but not sure. I do know that he was part of the landing forces hopping islands and saw close action. Some of his stories were chilling.
The family men in my father's generation all served during Korea/Vietnam. I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for all those that served our country as well as those who are currently serving. Takes, or creates, a different type of character. Something we seem to need more of today.
I saw this somewhere, maybe even this site, and it seems fitting.
Hard times makes good men
Good men make good times
Good times makes weak men
Weak men make hard times
The family men in my father's generation all served during Korea/Vietnam. I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for all those that served our country as well as those who are currently serving. Takes, or creates, a different type of character. Something we seem to need more of today.
I saw this somewhere, maybe even this site, and it seems fitting.
Hard times makes good men
Good men make good times
Good times makes weak men
Weak men make hard times
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well said
My Dad was a Marine, served in the South Pacific jumping out of landing craft weighted down with guns and ammo. He lived through all that, made it to 93 years old, and lost his final battle to cancer. He rarely talked about that war and when he did he got very emotional, unless it was one of his funny stories!
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I had relatives that fought in the 1st, 2nd and Korean Wars. Also a Great Grandfather that was a Captain in the war between the states.
I worked with veterans professionally in my career. Where I was born there were a lot of veterans from WW11.
Found out that the one’s that talked the most about the war did the least, or were less involved in actual combat.
I worked with veterans professionally in my career. Where I was born there were a lot of veterans from WW11.
Found out that the one’s that talked the most about the war did the least, or were less involved in actual combat.
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My dad never talked about it. I saw pics of him taken during that winter in Ardennes, but I never knew about it because he passed on when I was young. He also got a medal for marksmanship, which I have along with other medals.
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I grew up with stories from the other side, my dad was a little boy in WW2 Germany. He said one day someone came to the house and said his older brother is big enough to serve, he ended being killed when they moved on Russia. Same trip they pointed at my dad and said he was old enough to show up for the Hitler youth. It was a do it or else thing, luckily the war was over before he had his mind twisted up too much by the Nazi indoctrination. He still ended up pretty racist tho.
33 IMP
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I had a friend who worked for 50 years for an auto repair shop run by my best friend.
He never talked about his war experience, I found out after alzheimers took him, from his daughter.
A small man, he was a pretty good professional boxer. He enlisted the week of Pearl Harbor, went to Africa with Operation Torch, captured by the Afrika Corp, escaped, was captured again, spent the rest of the war in a pow camp, and came out weighing 80 lbs, on a 135 lb frame.
He never talked about his war experience, I found out after alzheimers took him, from his daughter.
A small man, he was a pretty good professional boxer. He enlisted the week of Pearl Harbor, went to Africa with Operation Torch, captured by the Afrika Corp, escaped, was captured again, spent the rest of the war in a pow camp, and came out weighing 80 lbs, on a 135 lb frame.
Cojohnso1
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My grandfather was a gunner on a destroyer that was hit by a kamikaze in the pacific. They found him unconscious clinging to wreckage with a busted back. He survived that and 1940s back surgery. To later serve 19 years as a MN highway patrolman. Saying he never once had to pull his revolver on the job. I asked him "What has changed?" He said police training for today's world. (This was back in the 80s when I asked. Then long retired.)
They were a different breed.
They were a different breed.
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I also did work for a couple of ex German military that probably came to Canada in the 50’s.
One particular guy said that he lost his toes due to frostbite at Stalingrad. Their footwear was so poor that they put paper on the insoles to keep the snow out. He was very happy to be captured.
My father was forced to serve in the German army after turning 17. All that ugliness made it possible for us the come to this country. My father was in artillery and hated all of it. One day when I went to visit him at the nursing home he was talking to another resident there, they became best friends. It turned out he was a navigator on a plane flying over the same place my father was at. The thought that my father could have been shooting at him was almost to much for my father to bear after becoming best friends. Strange how life works............... God bless them all...
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